The present invention relates generally to illuminated clothing or footwear. More specifically, the present invention relates to an illuminated clothing or footwear system utilizing electro-luminescent (EL) light strips and LEDs with multiple images that are randomly illuminated according to the movement of a person wearing the article by means of a contact switch having multiple contact points that activate circuits to the EL strips and/or LEDs during said movement.
There are many prior art devices exhibiting the use of LEDs and Electro Luminesce (EL) lighting used for clothing articles and footwear producing light flashes based on motion and pressure switches. Concerning footwear, the use of LEDs is well known producing bright and colorful visual effects that are visible from a distance and in semi-bright environments. The disadvantage of the LED is in the lack of design and creativity that can be incorporated into footwear due to the physical characteristic of LEDs and the limitation imposed by footwear. Use of LED's in footwear is primarily restricted to placement within the bottom sole or through portholes of the upper area of the footwear.
On the other hand, EL is substantially flat and pliable producing an advantage over LEDs having the ability of being shaped into or part of artwork. However, unlike the LED that only needs 3-6 volts, EL requires from 200-300 volts for illumination. In addition, EL has a lower luminescence that LED's. EL luminescence is barely visible under basic indoor incandescent or fluorescent light and in outdoor sun light EL would not be visible at all. Therefore, the use of EL in footwear poses no serious challenge to LEDs due to its lower luminescence and greater power requirements.
The present invention attempts to solve this problem by combining the two types of lighting EL and LED into one unit. The use of a motion switch would activate on each movement of the wearer, closing the switch allowing the power source to illuminate each connected LED. Where the EL is connected, the power source would be boosted through an inverter converting the direct current to alternating current to the need voltage to illuminate the EL. The order of the EL and LED illumination would be determined by the visual effect of the lighting and the design of the footwear. The power source and inverter for the EL would be arranged according to this order.
As an additional element, the present invention incorporates a control mechanism to preserve battery life, since the greater power requirements of the EL would drain the battery life faster than LED. The control mechanism may, for example, be the incorporation of a light-sensitive sensor for engaging and disengaging the EL strips not only with the motion sensor but also according to ambient light luminescence, thereby conserving battery life.